Environmental crisis and climate change

Question 1

In a general sense, how can we understand the environmental crisis?

Answer 1

1) As an imbalance between the way humans live and the natural
environment
2) A clash between the permanent uncontrolled growth of
global capitalism and the finite resources of the planet.

Question 2

What does the ecological footprint analyse?

Answer 2

The impact of our way of life on the planet from the point of view of resources used and waste produced.

Question 3

What causes global warming?

Answer 3

The emission of greenhouse gases

Question 4

In December 2015, the world’s governments signed the
Paris Agreement to confront climate change. What is its goal?

Answer 4

Avoiding a global temperature increase of more than 2ºC above the preindustrial era

Question 5

The severity of climate change means that the situation can be defined as a

Answer 5

climate emergency

Question 6

What are tipping points?

Answer 6

critical thresholds in a system that, when exceeded, can lead to a significant change in the state of the system, often with an understanding that the change is irreversible

Question 7

What are the most important climate tipping points?

Answer 7

Greenland ice sheet
Permafrost
Ocean circulation and temperature (AMOC)
Monsoons
Amazon Rainforests
Antarctic ice sheets
Coral reef die-offs

Question 8

What is permafrost?

Answer 8

is a permanently frozen layer on or under Earth’s surface that is starting to melt

Question 9

What is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)?

Answer 9

a large system of ocean currents that acts as a conveyor belt,
redistributing heat throughout the Earth’s climate system

Question 10

What is The Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

Answer 10

a kind of huge plastic soup that is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world

Question 11

What is the main difference between the sixth extinction and the previous ones?

Answer 11

That this time the cause of the mass extinction is not natural but human action itself.

Question 12

What do we mean by Anthropocene?

Answer 12

The most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and
ecosystems.

Question 13

What is the diffetence between Anthropocene and Capitalocene?

Answer 13

Anthropocene puts more emphasis on the impact of humanity in general on the planet while Capitalocene specifies that the problem is not humanity in general but the economic model, capitalism.

Question 14

What does the term Great Acceleration refer to?

Answer 14

That the human footprint on the planet has intensified in an extraordinary way specially since the second half of the 20th century

Question 15

What is the definition of sustainability?

Answer 15

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Question 16

What does Just (or Fair) Transition mean?

Answer 16

That the greening of the economy has to be done in a way that is fair and inclusive

Question 17

What do we mean by Climate Justice?

Answer 17

that the countries, industries, businesses, and people that have become wealthy from emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases have a responsibility to help those affected by climate change, particularly the most vulnerable countries and communities

Question 18

What is Ecoanxiety?

Answer 18

Distress related to worries about the effects of climate
change

Question 19

Which people are most affected by eco-anxiety?

Answer 19

Young people, adults with small kids and, above all, young women due to the traditional association between women and caregiving